Jaguar World October 2022 History – Special Vehicle Operations
Reproduced with permission of Jaguar World Magazine
In October 2022 Jaguar World published a summary of the workings of what was colloquially known as Jaguar’s ‘Skunkworks’ – Special Vehicle Operations – featuring 7 vehicles from our Collection: The last Daimler DS420 L420 YAC, Daimler XJ-S, Daimler Double Stretched Limousine, Daimler Corsica, Jaguar XJ40 Coupé, Jaguar XK180 and the Jaguar XKR-R.
Words: Sam Skelton
ORIGINALLY HOUSED at the back of the Browns Lane plant, the Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations team can trace its roots back to the 1970s – though its best-known products are all 1990s creations. The Daimler DS420 limousine had originally been built and trimmed at the Vanden Plas works in Kingsbury, London – but British Leyland’s decision to close that site in 1979 meant changes that radiated throughout the group. Trimming of the Austin-Allegro based Vanden Plas 1500 would be shifted to the MG factory at Abingdon, while Jaguar would have to take both its Vanden Plas and DS420
saloons back in house.
A Limousine Shop was set up in a corner of the main factory at first, to continue creating the DS420. And it was the team behind the Limousine Shop that would form SVO in 1992, when the DS420 finally left production.
Left without a real purpose, the former Limousine Shop personnel were re-targeted by Jaguar into an elite team of concept creators – whether for internal evaluation or for the customer who wanted something a little bit special. Its first four projects were all based on the XJ40, though one also encompassed XJS.
Announced at the 1992 British International Motor Show at the NEC, Birmingham, Jaguar’s SVO department had a number of remits. The headline news was the announcement of the new Jaguar Majestic – a long wheelbase version of the XJ40 with a raised roofline. intended as a successor to the DS420 for the chauffeur driven market and using a name from Daimler’s past. It might have been less spacious and less exclusive than the DS420, but it gave rise to the subsequent factory built long wheelbase saloons which formed a staple part of the range from 1995 onwards.
Initially only planned to be available in Sovereign and Daimler specifications according to the Autocar Motor Show report, we know of a number of Gold Majestics as well as other models in the range which were adapted – at a cost of £8,500 over the standard wheelbase example for any trim. The bodies were adapted from standard saloons by Project Aerospace, adding 5″ in length and about 2″ in height, before being returned to the former Limousine Shop for trimming. 270 Majestics were built in total, marking approximately 0.15% of total XJ40 production. The Majestic was available in all markets except the USA and Canada – the USA having received a special edition branded as Majestic but based on the standard bodyshell between 1989 and 1992.
Almost equally scarce were the models which underwent the Jaguar Insignia programme. A total of 319 XJ40 saloons and 64 XJS models were believed to have been ordered through the programme, which could be applied to everything from a basic XJ6 3.2 through to a Daimler Double Six or XJS convertible. Insignia took the form of a special series of options, which included special paint, trim and wood colours in the same manner as Land Rover would adopt for the Range Rover Autobiography or Rover for its Monogram series. Colours such as Peppermint and Lavender complemented interior shades such as Powder Blue, and all manner of stains for wood trim. Dark green maple remains a highlight from those we have seen, complete with matching picnic tables in the rear. Insignia cars could also be specified with a special seat design, and a full leather dashboard trim instead of the usual plastic.
The sky – if you could afford it – was to be the limit, and for every Daimler Double Six with all the options there was a basic XJ6 in a custom colour. Some Insignia conversions were carried out on Majestic long wheelbase shells, for the ultimate in personal XJ40s.
But with barely 500 special cars converted over a two year period, SVO’s customer-facing side ultimately saw little use. The Insignia cars in particular were forgotten, and many have been sold on several times between unassuming owners unaware that the cars they own are special. The Insignia programme didn’t continue beyond the XJ40 and XJS models, and was wound up in 1994 as the X300 came on stream. SVO did however create a number of one-off specials for the company, which were used to generate interest in the company’s products as well as to evaluate potential new model lines.
The best-known of these is possibly the Jaguar XJ40 Coupe, produced in 1994 just as the X300 was ready for launch – rumour has it that SVO would have preferred to use a cast-off X300 shell to develop the Coupe but none were available, hence the X300-isation of the older car with colour coded bumpers and an S-style boot infill panel to ensure it still looked fresh. This wasn’t the first effort within Jaguar to produce a coupe based upon the XJ40 – photographs exist of a clay model reputed to have been under assessment in 1985 and 1986. That was never productionised – and which has a more classical appearance than the car SVO produced, more closely resembling the production XJC. Coachbuilder Robert Jankel also produced a coupe during the 1980s which appears similar to the SVO car at first glance, though the proportions are different.
The wheelbase on the SVO car was shortened by six inches and the doors lengthened by eight inches by the SVO team, while the standard XJ81 specification V12 drivetrain remained untouched. Inside, there were new seats, adapted to tilt to allow for access to the rear and the interior received a makeover using the same colour palette as the S-model complete with revised carpet.
Unusually for a Jaguar it used the Daimler’s deeper walnut panelling to the dash – a feature that would be adopted across the board for X300, and perhaps intended as a preview for this model. Shortly after this car was displayed, a second model was revealed – again destined to be a one-off, but incorporating elements that would make their way into production examples. Buoyed by its success with the XJ40 Majestic programme, it developed a one-off extended variant of the new X300 for use by the company’s Chairman, Nick Scheele.
This prototype differed from both the Majestic and the subsequent factory LWB in that not only were the rear doors stretched by 5″ and the roof raised by 2″, but that the front doors were also extended by 8″ in order to allow for even more space in the rear. SVO was of course used to extending front doors by 8″ having gained invaluable experience with the XJ40 Coupe proposal above. The X300 double stretch also incorporated telephones, television screens, and a Sony video recorder, alongside blinds, unique wood, and two tone interior trimmings.
Based on a Daimler Six rather than the more prestigious Double Six, it is possible that the choice was foisted upon SVO by the availability of certain cars as a basis, or that this reflected Jaguar’s intended use for the car – the Six, as a chauffeur car, was just as luxurious and far more economical than its 6-litre sibling!
The Daimler Corsica of 1996 did not, in theory, need to concern itself with mere baubles such as fuel economy. Intended as a centenary celebration of Daimler, the Corsica took lessons learned from the XJ40 Coupe concept and built upon them further. Like the Coupe, it was based on a shortened wheelbase – the same six inches as the Coupe – with longer doors than the standard model. New rear wings were fabricated from scratch, as part of a project that took 18 months to complete. It took its inspiration from a 1931 Daimler drophead bodied by coachbuilder Corsica of London, and was the brainchild of Jaguar PR man David Boole.
The colour palette might have seemed odd to some, but was a revival of the Insignia palette – Peppermint Green on the outside, with Silk White seats trimmed in a unique style and adapted from XJ-S and XK8 models. When first unveiled, Corsica was a non-runner with no engine under its shapely bonnet. Plans had been made to make the car work, but at the last minute SVO was told to finish it as a static exhibit, During 2006 and 2007 following a meeting of the JDHT trustees, specialist David Marks was entrusted with the task of making Corsica work. This involved a 4.0 AJ16 engine, alongside extensive wiring and hydraulic circuitry to ensure that the roof retracted as intended. The hydraulic circuit was adapted from an Audi A4 convertible.
Arguably SVO’s best-known work, however, came in October 1998 – and had taken only ten months to create. As a 50th anniversary homage to the XK120, Jaguar created a special XKR-based model which was shown at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, and which was featured on the front covers of several motoring magazines.
The XK180 was based on a shortened XKR platform, and Keith Helfet’s styling was inspired by that of the D-type. Jaguar produced two XK180s – one in right hand drive and one in left hand drive – and both used the same mechanical package. That meant a 450 bhp version of the XKR’s supercharged AJ-V8, a five speed automatic gearbox taken from the XKR and adapted to shift via buttons on the steering wheel, and Computer Active Technology Suspension. Revised ECUs, spring and damper rates and bigger anti roll bars changed the chassis dynamics, however, increasing roll stiffness. The variable ratio power steering was also retuned at the same time, adding weight. Sitting on BBS wheels of 20″ diameter, it’s possible to tell the two cars apart externally by the style fitted. The right-hand drive car wore BBS Paris wheels, while the LHD car built in 1999 used BBS Detroits.
While the XKR-R was shown in 2000, its development began in the 1990s so it makes a nice way to round off our overview. The car was a showcase for what could in theory be productionised in the form of an XKR for the more focused driver, perhaps as close to a track-day car as Jaguar would come. The engine gained 30 bhp over the standard XKR, taking the total to 400 – transmitted not through the standard Mercedes five-speed auto but through a Tremec T56 manual borrowed from the Dodge Viper.
Brembo cross drilled discs and four pot calipers on each corner mean it stops as well as it goes, while 30 mm lower suspension and 20″ wheels from the R-Performance catalogue mean it grips. There are new bumpers, skirts and a rear spoiler to enhance its appearance, while inside there are racing seats and four point harnesses. The rear seats were replaced by stowage for driver and passenger helmets.
With a top speed of 180 mph and 60 achievable in 4.6 seconds, this was the fastest car SVO produced in the 1990s – and despite interest from enthusiasts, it never entered series production.
Cars SVO would create on a one off basis included an XK8 police demonstrator, a somewhat light hearted police-branded XJ220 for promotional purposes, and cars required for official business. Whether these cars were developed on behalf of the police force, the government (often redesigned to accommodate armour plating and bulletproof glass) or other high security clients, often the development work would be done in house by SVO and the production would then be offered out for third parties to tender.
While the Insignia programme had been wound down, Jaguar would still offer services such as unique colour schemes to customers willing to pay, in these instances the cars would be painted on the standard line. but it would be SVO to whom the responsibility of sourcing the paint or other unique trim would fall, as well as the outsourcing of painting plastic items such as the bumpers in the new colour.
SVO still exists, responsible for cars such as the F-type SVR and the XE Project Eight saloon as well as continuing to cater for individual needs such as armour plating and custom paint – the latter of which sees something in the region of 5,000 requests per year accommodated, a scale that the original team behind Insignia could only have dreamed of. Now also accommodating Land Rover products, SVO is heading from strength to strength – but to many enthusiasts, the 1990s will remain its heyday.